Going ‘green’ during the holidays

  • Published
  • By Eric M. Grill
  • Air Force Civil Engineer Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --  As the holidays are upon us, many people get in the holiday spirit with decorating homes and offices.

It's worth keeping in mind that with all the glitter and glamour of decorating, there are plenty of ways to be Earth friendly with decoration choices.

"The holidays are a great time to reduce, reuse and recycle," said Nancy Carper, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Environmental Directorate integrated solid waste management specialist. "Being environmentally conscious during the holidays helps reduce our impact on the environment."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Energy Department recommend the following tips to help reduce, reuse and recycle holiday decorations:

ENERGY-FRIENDLY LIGHTING

-- To light your home for the holidays and conserve energy, use energy efficient light emitting diode, or LED, lights. LED lights consume about 70 percent less energy than conventional incandescent holiday lights and can save electric costs during the season. As an example, to light a Christmas tree for 12 hours each day for 40 days, one would spend an average of $2.74 with incandescent mini-lights, but only $0.82 with LED mini-lights. LED lights also have a lifespan of 200,000 hours whereas incandescent lights have a lifespan of only 3,000 hours.

-- LEDs are much cooler than incandescent lights, reducing the risk of combustion.

-- Power down light displays during daylight hours and when not at home or asleep for the night.

Paul Carnley, who leads the meter program in AFCEC's Energy Directorate, said he uses a photo cell timer for use with his holiday decoration lighting.

"It comes on at dusk and can be set to go off two, four or six hours later," he said.

ECO-FRIENDLY DECORATIONS

-- Use natural, biodegradable items such as fresh flowers, dried herbs, fruits, pine boughs, pine cones and berries.

-- Create ornaments and decorations with reclaimed or recycled materials.

-- Reuse ornaments and decorations every year.

-- If possible, choose recyclable ornaments and decorations.

-- Use soy candles instead of paraffin candles. Paraffin candles are petroleum-based and can emit chemicals when burned.

RECYCLING WRAPPING

-- Each year, the waste generated in the United States increases by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Wrapping paper is one of the largest sources of waste during the holidays when half of the paper consumed in America is used to wrap or decorate consumer products. Choose recyclable wrapping paper or paper manufactured from recycled content.

-- Reclaimed paper from maps, calendars, newspapers and magazines can be economical and sustainable alternatives to traditional wrapping paper.

-- Reusable materials such as glass jars, tin boxes and colorful fabrics can also create unique presentations. Consider natural materials such as raffia, dried fruits, cinnamon sticks, holly, berries and pine boughs to trim presents.

EVERGREENS

-- Live Christmas trees are generally more sustainable than artificial Christmas trees. However, live Christmas trees can be cultivated with chemical pesticides, fertilizers and colorants. Consider a locally harvested, organic Christmas tree.

-- Every year, about 33 million live Christmas trees are sold in North America. After the holidays, look for ways to recycle the tree instead of sending it to a landfill. Check with local community solid waste departments and find out if they collect and mulch trees. Local towns might be able to use chippings from mulched trees for hiking trails and beachfront erosion barriers.

GREEN GIFTING

There are many options for festive but sustainable holiday presents. Consider "green" gifts.

-- Give an experience such as movie tickets or passes to a local museum.

-- Americans send more than three billion greeting cards during the holiday season. To reduce paper waste, send holiday greetings and party invitations electronically. If traditional greeting cards are preferred, choose cards printed on recycled paper and recycle cards after the holidays.

ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERRED PARTIES

-- Choose local and organic foods.

-- Use reusable plates, glasses and utensils instead of disposable products. If disposable products must be used, choose environmentally preferred materials made from recycled content or materials that are recyclable, compostable or biodegradable. Avoid Styrofoam products.

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE

-- Common holiday wastes including electronics and waste vegetable oil are recyclable.

-- Nearly 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Choose rechargeable batteries to reduce waste.

-- If a gift is received that can't be used, donate it to charity or re-gift it wisely.
"As these tips show, choosing to be eco-friendly during the holidays is easy," Carper said. "Additionally, being eco-friendly by reducing and reusing during the holidays helps to save natural resources, protect the environment and save money."

For more information about the Air Force's "Win the War Against Waste" campaign, go to http://www.afcec.af.mil/news/wwaw/index.asp.